Shadow
by rachel2502
Summary: Some people spend a lifetime looking for their soulmate. Me? I met mine when I was four. Trouble was I could never be sure he existed. bella edward


Hey, everyone. Please read and review.

By the way, Bella is blonde here.

Chapter 1

It started with a hold-up.

It seems somehow... inevitable that something so mundane could start a turn of events that would eventually lead to...well you'll find out soon enough.

Not that I'm saying a hold-up is mundane because it's not...Not when you're human and normal.

Which I'm not.

Normal, I mean.

I'm probably still human.

I could have put the blame on him. But I had more pride than that. Especially since it was completely my fault.

I couldn't help it; being bullied especially by someone I could easily crush...the thought filled my blood with a murderous rage. Not beneficial to anyone. Trying to take advantage of an ill-tempered girl who was already angry beyond relief...

Someone should have given them a warning.

It was a Tuesday.

Standing in a school laboratory filled with other seniors whose main goal that lazy afternoon was to have as much fun as possible instead of actually finishing the experiment; the guys pretending to drop glass apparatus trying to impress the girls who regarded them with suppressed amusement. Yes, it was just another day in the life of a senior.

I was having my own fun, sitting with a few other friends. There was a lot of table drumming and high pitched squeals. In my own delirious haze I got around my friends, my eyes were on good behaviour. They were doing their best not to sidle to the next table where he stood, more quiet, more subdue though admittedly this was rare for him. He was usually hyper, grinning and boy, did he light up a room when he laughed.

It made me flinch when I heard that deep husky laugh reverberate around the room. He was happy; good for him. So was I. In a way. As happy as I could be when a part of me was drifting further and further away from me. He was like a rubber band but I tire of counting down the seconds until he would snap back to me. I was tired of doubting whether or not he would.

The first and most prominent emotion towards him was not love as it should have been. I was furious; devastatingly angry at him. There was no reason at all for him to be at the next table. He should be sitting here with us; we were his closest friends. I was his closest friend. Was. Past tense.

Picture this so you have an idea of how quickly a scene can change. So you can imagine that even I was not prepared for what was to happen. A group of students bustling around in white lab coats laughing too loudly, our tiny and way too nice teacher rapping her ruler for silence, the sun shining into the room, a clear blue day that would give in to rain in a matter of hours.

I was trying to focus on the matter at hand, lighting up mixed chemicals in a tube, a stop watch in my free hand. If I didn't concentrate, it could blow up in my face.

The sounds of hurried footsteps reached my ears a thousand seconds before it had reached anyone else's. I gave it no attention; late students probably. Even when the smell of gunpowder wafted in, I excused it for an experiment gone badly. How could I have put two and two together? Why would anyone try to take hostage of a school?

Ten minutes later, I found out.

I was keeping tabs on the footsteps subconsciously. I've been training my mind to categorize and multi-task; it was working though maybe not as well as it should.

Stupid of me; should have known.

Whispered instructions were being issued outside the door of the lab. I heard what no one else could.

"...evacuate the other rooms..."

"...we'll take this one...a few hours...the cops..."

"...smaller class...easier...enough hostages..."

I raised my eyebrows at Edward, having just caught his eye. It was wrong; I shouldn't be initiating any contact but he was the only one able to hear the exchanged conversation. A look passed between us. _What's going on? _He shrugged, looked away.

Hurt swept over me, cut short when the door of the lab was thrown open. It could have been Edward; he always threw open the door like that, commanding attention but

Edward was standing feet in front of me, his back turned. It couldn't be Edward. It certainly didn't sound or smell anything like him.

"This is a hold-up!" a man's voice yelled from behind me.

Oh boy.

If there was one pet peeve of mine, it's stating the obvious. Like 'this room is blue' and 'I think it's raining'.

I rolled my eyes as gasps and screams issued around the room. My tablemates backed away; we were the closest to the doors. Their faces filled with horror, scrambling away from the only exit. Unless you count a window from five storeys up an exit route. I do. Though I was not one for running away.

"Everyone, on the floor!" the man shouted. "Now! Move, move!"

Even Edward obeyed. Surprised though why should I be? He liked rules, followed them systematically. I was the rebel, always had been.

The clicking of the gun was what finally made me turn around. With a glance at my fellow peers huddled in the front of the lab watching me with scared eyes, I swung around obviously.

Hmmm, not bad at all. Clearly he wasn't acting out because he hadn't gotten enough attention as a boy with dark eyes that gleamed dangerously. The nose was too prominent though and his chin too weak. But he had nice hair, short, a crew cut to boot. Another pet peeve of mine; men with long hair. How guys thought it made them look tough to be mistaken for women with facial hair was beyond me.

"You too, Blondie," Crew-cut ordered, waving his gun around. Again with the obvious. Jeez, he was getting on my nerves.

He cocked the gun when I remained motionless. A Colt 2000, with a magazine capacity of fifteen rounds. A sweet looking gun, the type one saw in video games or in movies, though it had stopped production fifteen years ago. Inaccurate, unreliable, I had to admit I liked those odds when I was holding the gun. Gave the other a much needed advantage. I had never held a Colt before. I didn't like revolvers so much. Maybe today was finally my chance to use one.

"I have to turn off the fire," I said calmly, pointing to the experiment I was in the middle off.

"Now!" he said testily.

"Fine," I shrugged. "If you don't mind it blowing up in your face..."

He nearly lunged at me. Glad to know I wasn't the only one who threw a fit easily.

"Make it quick," he managed to spit out even as his face turned purple.

"Temper, temper," I muttered under my breath as I switched off the fire. I hated starting an experiment all over again. I drained the chemicals, taking my own sweet time.

"Clean out every table," Crew-cut added, coming to his senses. He was obviously not the brains of this operation.

As I moved from table to table, my ears easily tuned out the mumblings and whimpers of my classmates. They were still huddled, holding each other close, watching me carefully. It was a side of me they had never seen before. I didn't act tough and in control. I was the cheerful startling gorgeous funny girl, not this calm collected chick with the angry eyes. Edward glared at me. My turn to ignore him.

I listened to the hurried panicked movements outside the room. Students and teachers alike were screaming for help, running for the nearly exit. Crew-cut's buddies were letting them go, shooting at the walls to quicken the process. Understandable; too many hostages, too many to keep a hold on. And we were the smallest class vacating this building. Only fifteen kids and a teacher; it shouldn't have been hard at all to keep a hold on us.

I was finishing the last table when Crew-cut stepped behind me.

"No funny moves, Blondie," he placed the head of the revolver against my forehead. Great; we were back to Blondie. And just how long did it take him to realize that he should warn me? The gun felt cold against my skin. Could a bullet in the head kill me? It was certainly risky and Edward might not save me this time. He didn't love me like he used to. Though that just added excitement when I had to save myself. Could I move fast enough to swipe the gun before he pulled the trigger?

Fifteen witnesses – Edward didn't count- were too much. Couldn't let them see.

I made to move to join the rest of my fellow hostages when he grabbed my arm.

Twisted it and pulled me against his chest.

"No way, Blondie, you and I are going to have some fun," he grinned at me, suddenly aware that I was decidedly female. If he was indeed this slow, who had been even more moronic to give this guy a gun?

He pushed me against the table so I was facing my friends again; the gun remained at my temple with him pressed against my back. "Maybe I'd keep you and we can have our own party later. If you want your friends to live, that is," he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

I made the mistake of looking at their faces. Scared, some for me, others for themselves, crying and whimpering. They were so...human. Then I looked at Edward, wishing I didn't the second our eyes connected. Was he concern? Afraid? Worried even? No, not solid strong Edward. He was calm, cool, except for his dangerous lovely eyes which were filled with an angry threat. _Don't do anything stupid _he tried to convey to me. Furious, of course. I wanted to rip his head off. I would have; my mind already fantasising of grabbing the revolver in a move too fast to be seen and blasting a hole in Edward's head.

"Leave her," another voice said. Not Edward, Crew-cut's friend. Curiosity filled me and despite Crew-cut's strong grip on me, I turned around easily.

Crew-cut struggled to hold me still; I let him. I didn't want to give the game up so fast. His friend was on the tall side with a face that had seen much of the hell on this world. He had bruises and burnt marks in places that I didn't even know could get bruised and burnt but his body seemed to revel from it. With a tight shirt that accentuated them, he had muscles that made Popeye look skinny.

He looked like an undefeated wrestler. I grinned; taking him down would be the most fun I had in a while.

Crew-cut released me and playing the act of the damsel in distress – I cursed the fact that Edward's approval still mattered – I ran to the comfort of my friends. Edward held his arm for me but I didn't want to sit with him. There was no choice in the matter because with a hard glint, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me down. His touch still electrified me, still made my breath stop and my heart speed up. To my constant annoyance, he was aware of this effect on me.

He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to him. To the outsider, it looked like a defensive and caring gesture especially when he added in his deep sexy voice "don't worry, I'll protect you. They won't hurt you" in a whisper loud enough for everyone to hear.

But I knew otherwise. It was partly for the act and partly to restrain me. Our classmates weren't stupid; they knew there was something intense between us. Our sporadic relationship was no longer the hot gossip. He was playing the role of the loving ex-boyfriend who in a moment of panic suddenly realized he couldn't live without me.

Like I said, an act.

In the same breath, he continued, his voice so low and fast that no one else could hear us "just stay still and keep your mouth shut. When this is over, you can vent all you want. But for now, nothing reckless." It was a threat.

"Or what?" I muttered back, trying to break his hold. It bothered me immensely when I couldn't though it was impossible I could be stronger than him. He had, after all, created me.

"Bella," my name a curse to his lips. His beautiful dark eyes narrowed.

I sighed. "No promises."

He almost smiled. "Atta girl."

Feeling like his petted dog, I stiffened. Crew-cut and his massive friend whose name I gathered was Ben were talking in muted tones.

"Why a school?" Crew-cut was asking. It was the same question running through all our minds no doubt.

"Minimum security, maximum publicity. No one's more protective than parents; they would be the most willing to pay the highest ransom. And kids are easier to spook than adults. All we need is a couple of girls crying and a tearful phone call to Daddy and we're good to go."

"I can arrange that," Crew-cut stared straight at me. From beneath Edward's muscular arm, I grinned at him. He looked confused before returning the smile.

"You're not touching the girl," Ben said steadily. "At least not yet."

"How long this going to take, boss?"

The door swung open again and two other men walked through. Both huge and tough.

My smile widened. The more, the merrier.

"Building's empty. Students and teachers are crowding outside the school gates, waiting for the cops," 'Tweedle-dum' added.

"Now we just sit back and relax until they show up," Ben lowered down on the swivel chair my teacher had until so recently evacuated.

I fidgeted obviously. Alice, my best girl friend turned to me and whimpered

"what do we do?" Her face was distress and filled with tears.

"Nothing," Edward said calmly. "We just do what they tell us and they won't hurt us."

"Are you sure?" she cried softly.

Edward was nothing if not firm and he reassured her everything would be alright. A part of me was worried he would hold her too, if only to make her feel better but fortunately for me, he didn't want to release his grip on me. A good thing too, I thought, I was not in control of my actions if he were to touch another girl however platonic and however much I loved that girl.

"Who's that girl?" 'Tweedle-dum asked interestedly.

"Which one?" 'Crew-cut'.

"The blond one." Again with the hair, was there no other way to describe me? "The one staring at us."

"Pretty fine, huh?"

"More than just fine. The girl's hot. Think Boss man would let us take her home?"

I gritted my teeth. "Edward," I said warningly.

"Bella, don't," he said tightly. His hand found both of mine and gripped it hard.

"They're talking about me," I hissed.

"They just called you pretty. They're being nice."

"You're an idiot," I muttered.

His laugh was soft enough to go unheard by anyone else but loud enough to make me close my eyes and think of happier times. My body relaxed unwillingly; I leaned against him subconsciously, trying to pretend we were still together and still in love.

No such luck; I could still hear those brutes talking about me.

"If you let me go, I'll let you take on Ben," I offered which was pretty generous of me, I thought.

"Why? Because he's the only one to not comment on you?"

"Deal or not?" I said tersely.

"No deal, kid."

"You're boring."

He just grinned.

"Don't you feel bad for poor Alice?" I gestured towards Alice whose head was buried in another friend's arms. I would have been the one comforting her but Edward wouldn't have let me move an inch.

"She'll live. It's an experience."

"What if she won't? What if they hurt someone? It's all well for you; you're invincible..."

"Not quite," he cut in, his smile fading. "Not quite invincible, as you remember."

I did. Oh God, how I remembered.

"They can't hurt you," I continued without a break. "They can kill them," I jerked my

head at my classmates.

"They won't."

"What makes you so sure?" I demanded, twisting away from him to look him in the face. He let me, giving me space. I was furious; he was almost so confident, so smug. If I didn't owe him so much and if he wasn't so strong...

"Blondie looks like she'll put up a fight," Crew-cut commented, leering at me.

"That's it," I said loudly. I pushed Edward aside and taking advantage of his shock – I only had a millisecond – I shot to my feet. With a lunge, I was across the room, holding Ben by his collar. I threw a fist at his face and he went down heavily without a grunt. Tweedle- Dum and Dee were almost as easy. They barely squirmed as my hands went around their neck and I lifted them up without a sweat. After knocking their heads together, I turned to Crew-cut, smiling brightly.

All this happened in a second so he barely had time to register that his partners were on the ground before I appeared before him, an angel beyond his wildest dreams.

"Help," he managed to squeak out before I pounced on him.

I grabbed the bottle of bleach from a cabinet and stuck his head roughly under the sink, not even caring if it didn't fit.

"Oh, Bella," Edward sighed, shaking his head.

I dumped the bleach over Crew-cut's hair. "Who's blonde now?" I said triumphantly.

Authors note

PLEASE let me know what you think. `if you like this writing style, I wrote and published a book called timeless by roobini sittampalam. It can be bought at amazon or any store. I can be reached here as well. So please message me any thoughts or etc and I will respond to each one.


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